Author: Tony Onslow

Only Once a Blue.
Part 2: Egerton Stewart-Brown
When Everton Football Club signed Dominic Calvert-Lewin from Sheffield United, he became their first player to be officially registered with a doubled barrelled surname since Benjamin Howard-Baker in 1920. There is however, another man who played for Everton, before official records began, who also had a hyphenated surname, and he made a guest appearance during their days at Anfield.
Egerton Stewart Brown, far left, with Liverpool Ramblers. On the far-right is J Bruce Ismay, the future Chairman of the White Star Shipping Line
Egerton Stewart-Brown was born on 31 January 1862, in the township of Toxteth. His father was an American-born merchant named Stewart Henry Brown, while his mother, Emily Birkett, was born in Liverpool. Records reveal the couple married at St Anne’s church in Aigburth, where the groom’s place of residence was entered as Long Beach, New York. They first settled on Park Road, before moving to 27 Devonshire Road, where their first...

Only Once a Blue
(Part 1)
Robert Jamieson
Hailing from the famous football nursery in The Vale of Leven, Robert Jamieson was to learn the rudiments of the association game surrounded by, what were at the time, some of the finest players in the kingdom. He was born on 7 September 1867 at 199 High Street, Dumbarton, the child of Robert, a journeyman fitter, and his wife Elizabeth. The head of the household was away on the day of the 1871 census, but Elizabeth was recorded, along with her four children, living at 6 Clyde Street in Dumbarton. On the completion of his education, Rob Jamieson followed his father into the engineering trade, and started playing at junior level before signing for Dumbarton in the summer of 1886.
He was in the side which reached the Scottish Cup final after beating Queens Park 2-1 at Hampden Park, and was selected at left wing when Dumbarton returned to the same venue to face Hibernian on...

The First World War had been raging for over a year when the funeral cortege of 17-year-old Robert Goldie brought the small Ayrshire town of Hurlford to a halt. Born in Liverpool, he was the son of well-known local man who had once played football for Everton.
Hugh Goldie was born, 10th of February 1874, at 32, The Vennal in the Ayrshire town of Dalry where his Father Hugh worked as a Coal Miner while his Mother Janet, had worked in a Textile Mill. The family later moved to the Riccarton area of Kilmarnock where Hugh, after completing his education, began work in a Bonded Store Warehouse while playing football for a local club, Hurlford Thistle. He represented them, on the 13th of February 1892, in the Ayrshire Cup Final that was played at Rugby Park, Kilmarnock but their opponent’s, Annbank, beat them 3-0. In July of the that year Hugh Goldie married local Textile Worker Grace McGinn and the couple...

When Everton reached the FA Cup final in 1906 their opponents, Newcastle United, had previously done “league double” over them and were favourites to lift the trophy. The Merseyside club had reached this stage of the contest twice before and had been beaten on each occasion. This time however, it was to be “third time lucky” as the trophy found its way to Goodison Park. Playing for Everton that day, at left back, was a man who, in many ways, epitomised the type of individual who shaped the development of Victorian Liverpool. His name was John Crelley and he was descended from a family of Seafarers.
His Grandfather, also named John, had moved to Liverpool from Wigtownshire in Scotland where he married Kilmarnock born Margaret Clerk at the church of St John the Baptist in Toxteth. The year was 1846. The couple first “set up” home in nearby Grafton Street before moving to 5 Pluto Street in Kirkdale. They were living...